You’ve wandered into the topsy-turvy world of Tulgey Wood, the blog of writer and historian Jim Fanning. Tulgey Wood celebrates artistry and creativity (and sometimes just plain madness): movies, animation, TV, books, comics—and of course Disney, lots and lots of true-blue, through-and-through Disney, including D23 and Disney twenty-three Magazine, and Sketches Magazine and the Walt Disney Collectors Society. Tulgey Wood is so fun, fascinating and full of frolicsome photos and facts, it’s scary. So wander through the wonder of it all, and enjoy.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

75 Years of Yuletide Spectacle

This Christmas season, the Radio City Music Hall celebrates 75 years of its Christmas Spectacular this year, and The New York Times recently reported that the 2007 edition salutes the stage show’s rich and festive history with the help of longtime Radio City historian Diane Jaust, who mined 5,000 boxes of Music Hall photos, programs and other memorabilia to help capture the Spirit of Christmas Spectacular Past. For many, including those who have never even been able to attend the show in person, the Christmas Spectacular is a revered holiday tradition, and in a way that’s even more true for cinema aficionados. Once upon a time, the Radio City Music Hall was a major showcase for first-run films and to have a movie booked into “The Showplace of the Nation” was the height of prestige. For many of its 75 years the Christmas Spectacular accompanied a movie “On the Giant Screen!” Some of the classic films to play the Music Hall during the holidays include Babes on Broadway (1941), The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) and A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969). Charlie Brown was one of the most successful runs ever at the Music Hall, and by coincidence the film features a scene at Rockefeller Center, home to the Music Hall. Pictured here are the cover and a spread from the Radio City program, including details of “The Nativity” and drawings of the film’s stars by Charles M. Schulz. Disney films such as Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Robin Hood (1973), Pete’s Dragon (1977) and (a most appropriate holiday choice) Babes in Toyland (1961) were also holiday attractions along with the Christmas Spectacular "On The Great Stage!" If you somehow can’t get to New York City for the 75th edition of the Christmas Spectacular, you can at least visit the official Radio City Music Hall website for a spectacular gallery of historic photos.

Fairy Tale Blogathon 2014

Coming Soon To Tulgey Wood

Watch for Sleeping Beauty, Third Man on the Mountain, Charlie Brown, more Hallmark Hall of Fame, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, and one or two surprises here and there along the way through Tulgey Wood.

Some Online Articles Written By Jim Fanning

About Me

An author, historian, editor, researcher and blogger, Jim Fanning specializes in Disney. In a career dedicated to celebrating and exploring the work and life of Walt Disney, as well as his collaborators and those who carry on his legacy, Jim has recounted the history of many areas of the wide world of Disney. A contributor to Disney twenty-three Magazine and the D23 website, Jim has written books, articles, comics and a variety of other works, in addition to officially commissioned projects for many departments of The Walt Disney Company, including Publishing, Home Entertainment and Walt Disney Imagineering, as well as lending his expertise to many Disney licensees, including The Walt Disney Classics Collection (including Sketches Magazine), Technicolor, Dixie, NBC and Mattel. He also wrote many episodes of the groundbreaking documentary TV series, Disney Family Album, and has contributed writing and research to the Walt Disney Family Museum. Jim's philosophy is historical accuracy, dedication to uncovering new and little-known behind-the scenes stories, and lively and engaging storytelling that illuminates authentic Disney "magic."